DC's Elseworlds books can be tricky things. Sometimes, they're just far too formulaic; they plant the title character and accompanying supporting figures in a new setting but have nothing new to say about the character, or anything else for that matter. And then there are those Elseworlds books that are more inventive and thoughtful. I'm pleased to report that The Golden Streets of Gotham falls into the latter category. This is a story about how the freedoms we enjoy today were built on the backs of immigrants. This is a story about responsibilities, both personal and social.
At the turn of the 20th century, Gotham's streets are filled with hard-working but poor immigrants looking to build a better life, and one of their number, Bruno Vanekow, returns to reunite with his parents. He discovers they've died, two of a throng of victims of a greedy man and his callous lackey. Bruno joins an underground labor movement, and in the process, he becomes a masked Robin Hood-like figure. He is a hero to the masses but loathed by the wealthy. Meanwhile, a series of gruesome murders descends on the city.
Chiang has proven that his simple style can convey a dark, urban atmopshere with ease, and he pulls it off again here. He adds a grittier tone to his work for this story, and it not only captures the dirty nature of Gotham's streets, but the historical setting as well. I was thoroughly impressed to find how well the few pages Edwards illustrated blended with Chiang's work. If one didn't check the credits, it's likely that the reader would be unaware that two artists had a hand in crafting the visual side of this story. Stewart's muted, dark colors add a painted look to this book.
Van Meter manages to pay tribute to the Batman legend while never being too restricted by it at the same time. Batman provides a framework but not a rigid model. If anything, the Dark Knight serves only as a gateway from the dominant comic-book genre into a fictional story that's poewrful in its realism.
The Golden Streets isn't a story about the Batman... not really. The goal isn't to examine the characters, but to explore the setting and the social climate that lay 100 years in our past. Van Meter captures the almost surreal darkness in which modern man existed. There's something exciting about the history of it all as well, and it almost makes one wish one was able to experience it and contribute firsthand.
